‘What’s going on out there?’ one of them asked, stopping in front of her. ‘It’s not another shooting, is it?’
‘Don’t think so,’ she murmured, blushing when she realized it was the party-throwing tenant from the flat above hers. She’d only ever seen him through the window at night before, but up close, with his soft brown eyes, straight white teeth and the hint of stubble on his strong jawline, he reminded her of a younger, sexier Zayn Malik.
‘C’mon, Gee, we’re gonna be late,’ his friend said, brushing past Holly and heading for the door.
The man, whose name she now knew, winked at her before following his mate, and Holly twisted her head to watch as the pair strolled outside. Biting her lip to contain her excitement when they had gone, she rushed up the stairs. Just wait till Bex heard that their celebrity-crush had a lookalike who was living in her block. She was going to be so jealous!
Josie was brushing her hair in front of the mirror on the living room wall. Glancing at Holly when she walked in, she said, ‘Who did they put in the ambulance? The man or the woman?’
‘Woman,’ Holly said, dropping her bag on the sofa. ‘What happened?’
‘No idea.’ Josie shrugged. ‘They were already there when I got up. Probably him knocking her about again.’
‘What d’you mean?’ Holly asked, feigning innocence because she didn’t want her mum to suspect that she’d spoken to Suzie. Not speaking to the neighbours was one of the rules, and she could do without the earache she’d get if her mum found out she had broken it.
‘Nothing,’ Josie said, putting the brush down and taking an elastic band out of the pot on the shelf under the mirror.
Watching as her mum scraped her hair back and tied it into a tight bun, Holly wondered how she couldn’t see what an unflattering style it was. Josie’s hair was quite nice when it was loose. Not lush and sexy like Suzie’s, but a damn sight better than this butch-prison-guard look she seemed to favour.
‘What you staring at me like that for?’ Josie frowned at her in the mirror.
‘I wasn’t,’ Holly lied.
‘Could’ve fooled me,’ Josie muttered, flashing a disbelieving look at her before leaning forward to examine a spot.
Hungry after missing lunch, Holly wandered into the kitchen to see if her mum had made a start on dinner. Disappointed, but not overly surprised to find nothing on the stove, she opened the fridge and took out a pot of yoghurt.
‘Put that back,’ Josie said, appearing in the doorway as she was about to tear the lid off. ‘I was going to microwave one of those little pizzas for you, but you can do it yourself now you’re home. I’ve got to go in early.’
‘Again?’ Holly asked, replacing the yoghurt in the fridge.
‘Excuse me?’ Josie’s eyebrows knitted together. ‘Do you think I work for fun, or something? You don’t think I’d rather sit on my arse all night watching telly, like you?’
‘Why you having a go at me?’ Holly asked. ‘I didn’t even say anything.’
‘Yes, you did, you said “again”, like I’ve got a flaming choice,’ Josie snapped, snatching her handbag off the ledge.
‘Pardon me for breathing,’ Holly muttered under her breath.
‘Don’t get lippy, lady.’ Josie gave her a warning look. Then, looping the strap of her handbag over her shoulder and picking her keys up, she said, ‘Right, I’m off. Don’t stay up too late, and if anyone calls round—’
‘Don’t answer the door,’ Holly cut in wearily.
Irritation flashing in her eyes, Josie said, ‘Hurry up and have your pizza, then get on with your revision. Wouldn’t want you failing your exams and being forced to clean shitty toilets for a living like me, now, would we?’
Holly waited until the front door slammed shut behind her before blowing out an exasperated breath. Her mother was such a moody bitch, getting on her high horse over a stupid word. Holly wouldn’t have minded so much if it wasn’t true, but she had been going out earlier since she’d decided to take on extra shifts – and coming back later. She claimed she had no choice, but Holly didn’t believe that. If she hated her job as much as she claimed to, she could quit and go on benefits. But she obviously didn’t want to, because that would mean being forced to spend more time at home. Well, sod her if that was how she felt, because Holly didn’t need her.
7
Suzie was restless. The paramedics who’d brought her to A & E had picked up her dressing gown and slippers before leaving the house, but not her handbag or phone. Without the latter to tell her the time, she had no idea how long it was since she’d been plonked in this godforsaken cubicle. She knew the staff were busy, because she could hear them rushing about on the other side of the curtain. The patients who were moaning and groaning in the cubicles on either side of hers sounded like they were dying, and they clearly weren’t getting seen any faster than she was. But, even so, they couldn’t expect her to wait all night.
Beginning to suspect that she’d been forgotten, Suzie was looking for the buzzer to summon someone when the curtain swished open and a nurse walked in carrying a glass of water and a little plastic cup containing tablets.
‘Sorry it’s taken so long; we’re rushed off our feet tonight,’ the woman apologized. ‘Here you go.’ She held out the glass and the cup.
Suzie was tempted to tell her where to shove the stupid tablets, but she was aching all over and her head was banging, so she took them and stuffed them into her mouth,
